Scientific Mumbo-Jumbo

[Studlover (imported)]

The following list of phrases and their definitions might help you

understand the mysterious language of science (including psychology) and

medicine. These special phrases are also applicable to anyone reading a

PhD dissertation or academic paper.

"IT HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN"... I didn't look up the original reference.

"A DEFINITE TREND IS EVIDENT"... These data are practically meaningless.

"WHILE IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE DEFINITE ANSWERS TO THE

QUESTIONS"... An unsuccessful experiment, but I still hope to get it

published.

"THREE OF THE SAMPLES WERE CHOSEN FOR DETAILED STUDY"... The other

results didn't make any sense.

"TYPICAL RESULTS ARE SHOWN"... This is the prettiest graph.

"THESE RESULTS WILL BE IN A SUBSEQUENT REPORT"... I might get around to

this sometime, if pushed/funded.

"IN MY EXPERIENCE"... Once

"IN CASE AFTER CASE"... Twice

"IN A SERIES OF CASES"... Thrice

"IT IS BELIEVED THAT"... I think.

"IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT"... A couple of others think so, too.

"CORRECT WITHIN AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE"... Wrong.

"ACCORD1NG TO STATISTICAL ANALYSIS"... Rumour has it.

"A STATISTICALLY-ORIENTED PROJECTION OF THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE

FINDINGS"... A wild guess.

"A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF OBTAINABLE DATA"... Three pages of notes were

obliterated when I knocked over a glass of beer.

"IT IS CLEAR THAT MUCH ADDITIONAL WORK WILL BE REQUIRED BEFORE A

COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PHENOMENON OCCURS"... I don't understand

it

"AFTER ADDITIONAL STUDY BY MY COLLEAGUES"... They don't understand it

either.

"THANKS ARE DUE TO JOE BLOGGS FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE EXPERIMENT AND TO

CINDY ADAMS FOR VALUABLE DISCUSSIONS"... Mr. Bloggs did the work and Ms.

Adams explained to me what it meant.

"A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT AREA FOR EXPLORATORY STUDY"... A totally useless

topic selected by my committee.

"IT IS HOPED THAT THIS STUDY WILL STIMULATE FURTHER 1NVESTIGATION IN

THIS FIELD"... I quit.

[Dave (imported)]

you forgot the phrase "It is intuitively obvious that"

This usually is said in an advanced Mathematics class and it is never true...

[A-1 (imported)]

"It is intuitively obvious that"

...means that I made a wild guess that turned out to be a very accurate fact.

A-1